Venkatesh Akella
Toronto,ON
Summary
Dynamic IT professional with over 16 years of diverse experience in roles including Release Manager, QA Team Lead, and Scrum Master, demonstrating a strong ability to navigate complex project landscapes. Proven expertise in requirements gathering, analysis, and testing ensures seamless implementation and delivery of high-quality software solutions. Adept at managing team activities and documentation while adhering to industry standards and governance, fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Results-driven leader skilled in Agile methodologies, facilitating effective communication among stakeholders and driving successful project outcomes across multiple teams and applications.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
REM (Release Environment Management) Manager
Tech Mahindra – Scotiabank
Canada
08.2023 - Current
- Involved in knowing about BILL 64 architecture and application Functionality.
- Manage the deployment process by preparation of Implementation checklist documents, Dependency Matrix for standalone, Bundled releases, communication plans and post-deployment monitoring like Technical Health Check (HC), Business HC.
- Coordinate release schedules and activities in collaboration with cross-functional teams, including Development, Quality Assurance, and Operations
- Analyze if Application EPM codes are on boarded to Service now to selected them as drop down option under
- Conduct release readiness reviews using SNOW intake process to approve the SNOW release created as part of REM process, ensuring that all necessary criteria are met before deployment.
- Responsible for the various environments being allocated for code drop in IST (IMI 1/2, IMI 3/4, IMI 6/7,...), UAT (IMU 1/2, IMU 3/4, IMU 6/7,...) and Prod. Environments. Develop and maintain release plans, including timelines, resource allocation, and risk assessment
- Responsible for Bill 64 projects deployment in production environment by raising a bridge call for deployment and be available in the deployment window.
- Act as a liaison between technical teams and stakeholders, providing updates on release progress and resolving any issues or concerns.
- Monitoring respective channels are running as per the schedule.
- Analyze CMDB (Change Mgmt DB buddy) in Service now to know the dependencies of applications.
- Environments: Service Now (SNOW), JIRA Board, Confluence
Environment (TEP) Manager
NTT DATA – TIAA (Teachers Insurance Annuity Association)
Canada
10.2022 - 07.2023
- Involved in knowing about TIAA application Functionality.
- TEP (Test Execution Platform) readiness in various environments like ST1, ST2, IT1, IT2, ATA, DEVINT1, DEVINT2, CT.
- Responsible for Jobs being run in the environments to send the Baseline report every Friday and send email once successfully completed.
- Change User profile details like username and password when expired, end points in restful services scripts and other activities.
- Monitoring respective channels are running as per the schedule.
- Modify the code changes as per the request submitted and update respective team on their activities.
- Weekly call on JIRA tickets to know the status for a respective sprint.
- Responsible to act as POC for whole Environments to see if all the activities are going smooth without any issues when the latest software, patches for tools upgrades happen.
- Environments: TEP, SOAP UI, Selenium, Reports, JIRA, TIAA Web Site, DevOps Web Support
Release Manager – Operations QA / Team Lead, Scrum Master
NTT DATA – BACS/NLG
India
07.2020 - 05.2022
- TEP (Test Execution Platform) readiness in various environments like ST1, ST2, IT1, IT2, ATA, DEVINT1, DEVINT2, CT.
- Responsible for Jobs being run in the environments to send the Baseline report every Friday and send email once successfully completed.
- Change User profile details like username and password when expired, end points in restful services scripts and other activities.
- Monitoring respective channels are running as per the schedule.
- Modify the code changes as per the request submitted and update respective team on their activities.
- Weekly call on JIRA tickets to know the status for a respective sprint.
- Responsible to act as POC for whole Environments to see if all the activities are going smooth without any issues when the latest software, patches for tools upgrades happen.
- Responsible for test data / case creation, execution in PAD (Prism Application Development), Website (Unite website) to meet timelines.
- Involved in Agile Ceremony (Stand up, Sprint Planning, Review and Retrospective)
- Responsible for managing documentation creation, review, sign-off (e.g. strategies, plans, schedule, cost estimates, test cases, dashboards, defect logs, test phase closure reports, entry/exit criteria, gating), ensure artifacts adhere to standards and audit requirements.
- Raise and maintain defects in JIRA for PAD / Oracle EBS and Dev. Ops for Website
- Responsible for Test data Verification in Oracle EBS (Receipts creation).
- Involved in Sprint Retrospective meeting to discuss the challenges and improvements.
- Responsible for Testing in JSON for Java UI, SOAP UI for Mainframes IL.
- Involved in Daily standup call to discuss on progress and any impediments.
- Environments: Java, Coffee Script, JIRA, Dev. Ops, API (JSON, SOAP),UNIX, JIRA Kanban, TOAD (Oracle)
QA / Team Lead, Scrum Master
NTT DATA – LTCG (Long Term Care Group)
India
06.2016 - 07.2020
- TEP (Test Execution Platform) readiness in various environments like ST1, ST2, IT1, IT2, ATA, DEVINT1, DEVINT2, CT.
- Responsible for Jobs being run in the environments to send the Baseline report every Friday and send email once successfully completed.
- Change User profile details like username and password when expired, end points in restful services scripts and other activities.
- Monitoring respective channels are running as per the schedule.
- Modify the code changes as per the request submitted and update respective team on their activities.
- Weekly call on JIRA tickets to know the status for a respective sprint.
- Responsible to act as POC for whole Environments to see if all the activities are going smooth without any issues when the latest software, patches for tools upgrades happen.
- Involved in performing Smoke Test daily using Test Complete tool.
- Responsible for test data / case creation, execution in PAD (Prism Application Development), Website (Unite website) to meet timelines.
- Involved in Agile Ceremony (Stand up, Sprint Planning, Review and Retrospective)
- Responsible for managing documentation creation, review, sign-off (e.g. strategies, plans, schedule, cost estimates, test cases, dashboards, defect logs, test phase closure reports, entry/exit criteria, gating), ensure artifacts adhere to standards and audit requirements.
- Raise and maintain defects in JIRA for PAD / Oracle EBS and Dev. Ops for Website
- Responsible for Test data Verification in Oracle EBS (Receipts creation).
- Involved in Sprint Retrospective meeting to discuss the challenges and improvements.
- Involved in creating test data using Trizetto Facets and EDR for the project PBM (Pharmacy Benefit Manager) – Eligibility Files process.
- Involved in XML files setup to perform web service testing for eAPPS and claims.
- Involved in ABAT (Active Batch) Jobs runs to print letters for EPS (X-pressions Printing Solutions) and verify them with reference document.
- Involved in Performing EDI Testing, with supervisor access by sending and receiving files from MIB (Medical Information Bureau) and then printing the letters for EPS finally running ABAT jobs for them.
- Conducted the defect triage meetings to review and prioritize defects.
- Bug logging and tracking using Azure DevOps
- Environments: Power Builder, TFS, MTM, SQL Server, Test Complete, EDI, XML, API.
QA Lead
Dell IT - e-Support – Drivers and Downloads
India
11.2015 - 06.2016
- Responsible for preparation of Test Plan, Effort Estimation, and detailed project plans
- Involved in daily standup call to discuss about progress and impediments.
- Preparation and execution of Test cases in MTM, perform Smoke Test and updates to automation scripts.
- Defect triage meetings to prioritize defects, raise and maintain defects in TFS.
- Environments: TFS, MTM, Selenium..
QA
Tech Mahindra - DMV (Division of Motor Vehicles)
India
09.2014 - 03.2015
- Created Test Analysis of EDD (External Design Document), Project documentation for projects BHS CFS, Win Direct (Carrier), OIS (Order In Store) (Retail Stores and Services).
- Define project plan, test process and strategies, test schedules and milestones.
- Responsible for preparing Test Plan, Strategy, Clarification document.
- Involved in tracking progress of both onshore & offshore.
- Raise and maintain defects in Qualify, discuss in defect triage calls to review, and prioritize defects
- Environments: CRM, TFS, MTM, AS/400, RPG ILE, PF, LF, Qualify, TURNOVER
QA
Tech Mahindra – Scotia Bank (Canada)
Canada
10.2010 - 09.2014
- Created Test Analysis of EDD, Test Plan, Strategy, Clarification document, Implementation checklist for projects ISCM Lending 2.0 and KS VISA (Credit Cards processing – Host System).
- Prepared knowledge documents of process flows:
- O Authorizations in application like (Cash Advances, Payments and Reversals)
- O Account setups in mainframes VTS
- O ABM transactions postings, VTS (VISA Terminal System) transactions postings
- O Simulator (used to post AMEX (American Express) amounts) transactions postings.
- Raise and maintain defects in HP QC along with HP QC Admin activities like creating and maintaining projects, User profile access.
- Prepared Regression packages for QTP automation team
- Responsible for tracking progress of both onshore & offshore.
- Environments: Mainframes (CICS), Citrix Web Application, Java, HP QC, HP QTP, HP QC Admin.
QA
Mahindra Satyam – Potlatch Insurance System & GE Money Home
India
06.2006 - 10.2010
- Created Test Analysis of EDD (External Design Document), Project documentation.
- Executed Test Cases.
- Raise and maintain defects in HP QC.
- Environments: AS/400, VS (.Net 2.0, C#), SQL Server Analyzer, SQL/400), SEU, RLU, SDA, DFU, HP QC.
Education
Master of Computer Applications -
Osmania University
Skills
- API Testing: Postman, SOAP UI, JSON, Web Services, XML, Rest API
- Domain Experience: Automotive, Banking, Insurance, Healthcare (TriZetto Facets, EDR), Healthcare Insurance, Retail
- Documentation: Test Plan, EDD, Change Request, Functional Process flows
- Environments: Release / Environment Management
- Methodologies: Agile Scrum, V-Model, Waterfall
- Project Management: JIRA, HP QC/ALM, TFS, MTM/Azure DevOps, TURNOVER, Qualify
- Tools: JIRA, Confluence, Service Now, IBM Tivoli, Git, MTM, TFS, QTP, Test Complete, Selenium
- Testing Types: API, Automation, SIT, Functional, Smoke, Regression, UAT, Non-Functional, Host Application (Mainframes), Database
Languages
English
Full Professional
Certification
- PSM (Professional Scrum Master) 1 Certified.
- Tosca level -1 Certification.
Timeline
REM (Release Environment Management) Manager
Tech Mahindra – Scotiabank
08.2023 - Current
Environment (TEP) Manager
NTT DATA – TIAA (Teachers Insurance Annuity Association)
10.2022 - 07.2023
Release Manager – Operations QA / Team Lead, Scrum Master
NTT DATA – BACS/NLG
07.2020 - 05.2022
QA / Team Lead, Scrum Master
NTT DATA – LTCG (Long Term Care Group)
06.2016 - 07.2020
QA Lead
Dell IT - e-Support – Drivers and Downloads
11.2015 - 06.2016
QA
Tech Mahindra - DMV (Division of Motor Vehicles)
09.2014 - 03.2015
QA
Tech Mahindra – Scotia Bank (Canada)
10.2010 - 09.2014
QA
Mahindra Satyam – Potlatch Insurance System & GE Money Home
06.2006 - 10.2010
Master of Computer Applications -
Osmania University
Awards
During 16 years of Service, won lot of Accolades and Achievements. Mentioning few among them, Client Name: Scotia Bank, In March 2024 received appreciation from BILL 64 client for Release Management projects release without any conflicts and issues, Client Name: Long Term Care Group (LTCG), In August 2019 received appreciation from LTCG client for Testing Pacific Life project, In April 2019 received appreciation from LTCG client for Testing MN Life – Phase-2 project., In February 2019 received appreciation from LTCG client for Testing MN Life – Phase1 project., Delivery Excellence in QA and Testing Practice, In April 2018 was awarded certificate of Delivery Excellence in Quality Assurance and Testing Practice from NTT DATA., Client Name: Scotia Bank, In March 2013 was part of QAT Team appreciation from Scotiabank client for SLV Re-Branding successful project release held in March 2013, In July 2012 was appreciated from Scotiabank client for Sinatra project release as a good team member, In March 2011 was recognized and appreciated from Scotiabank client for ISCM (International Scotia Client Manager) Lending 2.0 application delivery on date by good teamwork